There are plenty of things to point to in the world that are wrong. But what happens when we look within? It is often easier to blame other people or external factors rather than confront our own faults. Part of Jesus' mission was to accept the blame that we deserve- thats why its called good news!

God commanded that a temple be built in Jerusalem where Jews could worship. Because the temple was the dwelling place of God, the place God chose to bear his name and house his presence on earth, it was the focal point of Jewish worship and culture. This is the temple where Jesus worshiped and taught. What can we learn from the design of the temple and what took place there has profound impact on our lives today.

Jesus tells Peter that he would build his church on Peter and that not even the gates of Hades can prevail against it. In our world today would you say the church takes an offensive position against evil or a defensive position? How is it that we can be effective at confronting the evils of this world?

We can all identify places and segments of our culture in which evil influences are particularly active. It can be much more difficult, however, for us to identify where the light of God is piercing the spiritual darkness in those arenas. Yet Jesus shows us those “type” areas are exactly where he is leading us.

Platte County 5th Anniversary Recap Video

Life often presents us with situations where we don't know what comes next. How do we move forward when the future isn't clear? We will look behind grateful for what God has done and look ahead with expectation to the great things God will do!

When Joseph becomes the right hand of Pharaoh, he leads Egypt through 7 years of famine with a stockpile of food for everyone from the surrounding region. When his brothers come for food, as they are starving, Joseph is left with a tough decision - should he forgive the very brothers who sold him into slavery? If we decide to be generous when we are angry, what kind of effect can that have on others?

We are surrounded by temptation - shiny, new things, people, experiences...it can be difficult to remember who we are, and set healthy boundaries for ourselves. Joseph faced temptation from Potiphar’s wife and yet he held true to his values and trusted in God, in spite of the consequences he faced.

Sometimes the people closest to us can hurt us the worst. Most of us have been blindsided before, and things can seem dire. Yet, God never gives up on us. Where is God when somebody else's actions leave us in peril?

Once we have understood our strengths and began to appreciate the strengths of our partners, we have a window into the ways they naturally think, feel, and behave. When we think about relating to them in the best way for them instead of ourselves, then our relationships begins to strengthen as we bend our strengths towards theirs.